Best and worst moments of 2010

As we look back at 2010, we can’t help bit see a year of tackiness and beauty, of tragedy and banality. Here, we examine two sides of the same ideas, marking the moments we’ll always remember—and the crap we wish we could forget.

<p><strong>Best:</strong> Cops raid a Brazilian drug lord’s pimped-out pad and find a giant JB mural on one wall and three-foot psychedelic scrawl of the pop star’s name on another. </p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Stratford’s favourite son gets taken in for questioning after a 12-year-old boy claims he’d been hit by the Biebs during a game of laser tag. </p>

Best: Cops raid a Brazilian drug lord’s pimped-out pad and find a giant JB mural on one wall and three-foot psychedelic scrawl of the pop star’s name on another.

Worst: Stratford’s favourite son gets taken in for questioning after a 12-year-old boy claims he’d been hit by the Biebs during a game of laser tag.

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(Image: CBC)

<p><strong>Best:</strong> As a guest judge on Battle of the Blades, the Hockey Night in Canada blowhard swapped spars with Ron Maclean.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Pinkos, anyone? Cherry’s intro of the new mayor made him look like a buffoon and made us look like a city of rinky-dink rednecks. </p>

<p><strong>Best:</strong> Cozy red mittens by The Bay became the unlikely it item of the 2010 Olympic Games. And at $10 bucks a pop, almost anyone could afford to be a fashion plate. </p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Frosty blue lips adorning models and VIP audience members (read: Robin Kaye) at this fall’s fashion week. </p>

<p><strong>Best:</strong> <em> Wicked</em>. The Tony-winning musical about the misunderstood girl with the green face broke Canadian theatre records, earning over $11 million in six weeks.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Former Toronto cop Terry Nunn attends a Halloween party in blackface. And it gets worse: Nunn also wore a noose and was led around on a leash by a pal in a KKK costume.</p>

Best: Wicked. The Tony-winning musical about the misunderstood girl with the green face broke Canadian theatre records, earning over $11 million in six weeks.

Worst: Former Toronto cop Terry Nunn attends a Halloween party in blackface. And it gets worse: Nunn also wore a noose and was led around on a leash by a pal in a KKK costume.

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(Image: Nile Livesey from the Torontolife.com Flickr pool)

<p><strong>Best:</strong> Blowing bubbles. Unless, of course, you happen to be the now infamous Toronto cop Adam Joseph—a.k.a. Officer Bubbles—who arrested a young protester for doing just that.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Blowing up police cars—or at least trying to. Not that we’re against a little healthy civil disobedience, but certain extreme protesting techniques proved how a few bad Bloccers can ruin it for everyone. Smashed windows, theft and, yes, torching police cars easily make the list. </p>

Best: Blowing bubbles. Unless, of course, you happen to be the now infamous Toronto cop Adam Joseph—a.k.a. Officer Bubbles—who arrested a young protester for doing just that.

Worst: Blowing up police cars—or at least trying to. Not that we’re against a little healthy civil disobedience, but certain extreme protesting techniques proved how a few bad Bloccers can ruin it for everyone. Smashed windows, theft and, yes, torching police cars easily make the list.

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<p><strong>Best:</strong> <em>Blue Valentine</em>. Gosling earned a Golden Globe nod for his portrayal of a charming ukulele player.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> <em>Morning Glory</em>. McAdams’s portrayal of a perky morning show producer was the best thing about this otherwise middling rom-com. </p>

<p><strong>Best:</strong> Porter Airlines serves its three millionth customer just three days before the election to replace David Miller—the Island Airport’s loudest critic.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Pearson gets voted the worst airport in Canada, called out specifically for slow service, pissy employees and crappy food options.</p>

<p><strong>Best:</strong> Silver foxes. Clint E., Bobby D., The Boss and even Ben Affleck were sporting some serious salt and pepper, proving that 60 and sexy can indeed go hand in shrivelled hand.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Boring black. What was with the F-for-effort policy in effect on the red carpet? Sure a girl can do worse than an LBD, but we were hard pressed to find a dress that was anything better than just OK (exception: Malin Ackerman).</p>

Best: Silver foxes. Clint E., Bobby D., The Boss and even Ben Affleck were sporting some serious salt and pepper, proving that 60 and sexy can indeed go hand in shrivelled hand.

Worst: Boring black. What was with the F-for-effort policy in effect on the red carpet? Sure a girl can do worse than an LBD, but we were hard pressed to find a dress that was anything better than just OK (exception: Malin Ackerman).

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(Images: Karon Liu)

<p><strong>Best:</strong> Spare but stylish room decor as seen at 2010 chic-eries Brockton General, Enoteca Sociale, Woodlot and Hoof Café.</p> <p><strong>Worst:</strong> Over-sharing servers. You know, the ones who give a 10-minute speech about your tomato’s field-to-plate trajectory or offer more background on your cab-sauv than you have on your date. We’re looking at you, Parts and Labour. </p>

Worst: Over-sharing servers. You know, the ones who give a 10-minute speech about your tomato’s field-to-plate trajectory or offer more background on your cab-sauv than you have on your date. We’re looking at you, Parts and Labour.